In The Throes
by fresco.meraki
Summary: Mulder and Scully know what they feel for each other. But is it the right thing to act on these desires?
1. Beginning

It's not that she didn't love him, it was just the fact that they worked together; and it's not that she was afraid, it was the fact that they'd be separated. Come to think of it, maybe she was afraid. She was afraid of losing her daily work routine- of being removed from the X Files, removed from Mulder. Ever since their visit with troubled writer Phillip Padgett, she couldn't shake her thoughts. He had expressed to them something she couldn't express to herself- "Agent Scully is already in love," his words were still clear as day. For years she had loved Mulder as a friend, but being in love? She tried to rationalize everything that occurred but she knew she was doing it to put herself at ease. She knew she would rationalize it into a lie. How long would she ignore this? All the times they called each other at 3 in the morning just because they couldn't sleep, the times she had fallen asleep in his apartment, the everlasting gazes…

She had to shake it off. She was merely 2 minutes away from entering the basement office she shared with Mulder. She couldn't bear any more change to her life.

"Mulder." She greeted her partner as she opened and walked through the door.

"Scully..." Mulder trailed off, looking down at the old files sprawled across his desk. He couldn't help thinking of his former neighbor, Padgett. Who was Scully in love with? Sure, he told her he loved her but he was pumped with hospital drugs. Even so, she had scoffed in his face.

"Anything planned for us today?" She asked, making sure to avoid eye contact. She still felt slightly awkward.

"Nothing for us here, Scully. I'm sure the aliens have a weak signal today." He laughed and looked up at his partner. She kept her head down but he could see the smile forming on her face. A sweet and subtle smile, the one that had drawn him in that first day in 1993.

"Spooky..." She replied, now looking up at him.

"Do you think I'm spooky?" They both started laughing and remembered their old conversations. They had called him 'Spooky Mulder' in the bureau but she always respected him. He knew that.

"Why don't we finish up and get out of here. I have quite the extensive collection of DVD's at my apartment." Mulder flashed her a half smile and looked back down at his files as he began to organize them.

"Umm, sounds good to me I guess." Scully tried to conceal her curiosity but he always knew how to read her, like she was an open book.

They finished up in the office and headed out. Mulder opened the door for Scully and placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her out. He always did this and she secretly liked it.

"Sooooo Scully, how about you drive me to my apartment?" He asked as they entered the elevator. He pressed the button to the first floor.

"And why would I need to do that, Mulder?" The elevator came to their stop and they both exited simultaneously.

"Well I took a cab here, couldn't find my keys this morning. And I figured with you coming over and you, well, you might as well drive us over there and stay." They were now exiting the building and making their way to the parking lot.

"Alright Mulder." She unlocked her car and he got in the passenger seat. It was a 20 minute drive so they made light conversation.

When they arrived, they walked to his apartment in silence. Mulder unlocked the door, letting Scully enter first. They both headed for the couch.

"Well Mulder, you got me here. Now what?" She looked at her partner, who looked at her.

"Oh! Yeah uhh the DVD's." He jumped up and went over to one of his shelves. "How aboooout... ahh look at that, Star Trek." He turned around, giving her a warm smile.

"Well, if that's your choice let's get to it." Scully returned the warm smile as he popped in the movie and sat down next to her.

They had done this before- watched movies on his old couch after work or just because. It usually ended with her falling asleep first and him putting a blanket over her and heading to a room he barely slept in. Mulder hated sleeping alone. He usually slept on the couch because he took up all the room and didn't feel the empty spaces.

"You know Scully," he broke the silence. "Star Trek is one of my guilty pleasures. Not too many people know that." He let out a sigh and made himself a bit more comfortable. As he leaned back on the couch he outstretched his arm, putting it behind her.

"Huh. Very interesting Mulder." She was looking up at him, watching his eyes light up with every scene. Scully wondered what memories he had relating to this particular series that made him appear so genuinely happy.

"Is it, Scully? See most people expect it from me. They expect weird and geeky things from Spooky Mulder." He looked down and caught Scully's gaze. "I mean, you know it doesn't bother me." He tried to reassure her but she could read him very well.

"Well that's good that it doesn't bother you." Scully was unconvinced but she thought it best not to fuel a fire.

The rest of the movie was watched in silence, seeming like it would go on forever. Occasionally they would readjust themselves, but each time they did they only got closer. The later it was, the closer they got. By the time the end credits rolled, Scully was already asleep.

"Scu-" Mulder quickly stopped himself and exhaled a deep sigh. She had her head gently placed on his shoulder. Both of her legs were on the couch, right tucked under left.

Slowly, he reached over her and grabbed the blanket he kept there in case she did just this. He softly placed it over the both of them, most of it over her small body. Just seconds after, Mulder found himself drifting off.

It was morning time, somewhere around 6AM. Scully was laying on top of Mulder with her arms wrapped around his slender yet toned body. Mulder had one arm acting as a pillow under his head while the other clung to Scully's waist.

*beep,beep*

Mulders alarm went off in his close to empty bedroom. If it wasn't for his waterbed and side tables, you would never have guess someone inhabited the space. Slowly, they both started to come to a conscious state. Mulder took the hand clasping Scully and swept it across his face. It took them both a minute to register what was happening.

"OH, Umm..." Scully slightly raised up and shook her head. She closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Its uhh, it's alright..." Yes, it was alright but it made Mulder feel things he would rather not address.

"I'm just gonna..." Scully placed a hand on Mulder's chest in order to get herself up. She climbed over him which sparked Mulders wild imagination; but he knew he could never think like this and continue working with her.

"It's fine, really. I dont want you... I mean I don't want you to feel embarrassed...or umm uncomfortable." He got off the couch himself and was now standing in front of her.

"Well Mulder it sounds like you're the one who's uncomfortable." Scully placed her hands on her hips and did her best to look him in the eyes. He was so tall...

"Listen, how about I make us some coffee while you freshen up? I still have your clothes from the steakout."

"I guess that's fine by me. Where are they?" She crossed her arms in front of her and tilted her head to the side.

"They're uhh on my bed in my room there." He pointed towards the bedroom with the mug he had in his hand.

"Be right back." Scully disappeared into his room.

Mulder tried to his best to shake the idea of her undressing next to his bed.


	2. AM

Mulders bedroom was unlike the rest of his apartment- it was clean. She looked around and found her clothes neatly in a corner. Why would he care so much about her clothes? She picked them up to examine and realized that he washes them with the detergent she normally uses. She looked over to spot his personal clothes hamper which looked like it hadn't been touched in 2 weeks. He didn't even care for himself like this, so why care for her? Why treat her so delicately but treat himself like broken glass? She couldn't dwell on this for too long, Mulder would get worried. Quickly, she exited his room and entered his bathroom for a quick shower.

Meanwhile, he was reading up on current UFO sightings on his computer. The coffee was made and he had already fixed her a cup to her liking. He himself was having a cup while intently studying the claims of a young man from New Mexico.

"Wow Mulder, you really know how to treat a guest." Scully emerged from the bathroom buttoning her jacket. Mulder turned around to face her.

The early sunlight danced off of his glasses. His brown hair was a beautiful mess and a 5 o'clock shadow was becoming visible on his face. He was stunning, and she was taken aback. "I don't get too many so I try my best when I can." Mulder smiled and then pointed to a coffee mug in the kitchen. "I took the liberty of fixing you a cup. Not too hot but just right."

"Thank you." Scully walked over to her cup. To her surprise, it actually was just right. "I think it's your turn now."

"Yeah, yeah you're right." Mulders fascination with aliens was now more of an obsession. Ever since his sister was abducted he was determined to find proof- to find the truth he knew was out there.

*7:15 AM*

Scully was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on his tv when he opened the bathroom door. He had one towel wrapped around his waist and another to dry his hair. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him shirtless before, because she had on multiple occasions; but this time was much more casual. Before Scully could finish her thought, he walked into his room and shut his door. She returned to focusing on the TV.

*7:25 AM*

Mulder came out of his room wearing a grey suit with a white undershirt and matching grey tie. "Do I look like the FBI's most unwanted or what?" He held his arms open and gave Scully a quirky smile.

"Gee Mulder, just like old times," Scully replied sarcastically. She stood from the couch and walked over to his door. "Now come on, we have to get going."

"You're right Scully. Skinner called earlier with a case. I'll drive." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his keys off of the counter.

"Why do you have to drive?" Scully crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

"It's only fair Scully." Mulder walked in long strides until he reached where she was. "You drove us here last night, why can't I return the favor?" He then mimicked her stature and looked down into her eyes. She tried to hold her own but his eyes were intense.

"Fine." She dropped her stare and opened his front door to leave. He locked the door behind them.

*7:30 AM*

Mulder opened the car door for Scully like he always did before getting into the driver's side. "After work I'll just... well we'll come back here and you can drive home. Sound good?"

"Sounds like a dream." She tried to not be so sarcastic, but she couldn't help it around him. She would do anything to mask the other side of her.

Mulder glanced at his partner and smiled. He secretly loved the sarcasm. It made him feel like everything was real, like everything he did had a purpose. Lately, she was his purpose. He already respected her, but what he felt now was more deep. It was an intimate connection that allowed them to work so well together in and out of the office though neither of them liked to directly admit how much they cared.

Scully noticed- she always noticed. Every once in awhile he would look in her direction as if to see if she was really there. She could take care of herself but something about having him so concerned made her feel like she was not alone in the world. She was well aware of all the times he had tucked her hair behind her ear when she had fallen asleep. It was soft and sensual and was on the border of becoming romantic rather than platonic.

They were well aware, and they were aware that the other was became unspoken after the 'almost kiss' in his hallway. It was never properly addressed and both of them pretended to be ok with it even though it left them wondering 'what if.'

*8:00 AM*

Scully and Mulder walked to their superiors office together in silence, close enough to touch one another's hand. Mulder reached out and grabbed the door open for her while also leading her by placing his right hand on her back. They each took their seat.

"I'm glad you both were able to come." Walter Skinner was a stern but loyal man who backed the duo up whenever needed.

"No proooblem." Mulder smiled and crossed his legs. He knew how to get under his skin.

Skinner tried his best to not look annoyed. "This case is a local one, but i want you two to review it together in your office...and make sure no one else finds out about this." He locked his fingers in front of him and dismissed them. They both looked at each other, slightly confused, but unspokenly decided not to ask him any questions.

*8:10 AM*

The case that Skinner gave them involved a fellow agent in the bureau. Neither of them were really familiar with him, they had only seen him around. His name was Phil Brooks. He was a smug looking Caucasian male with slicked back dark brown hair and a clean beard. In stature, he was about 6'1" and was visibly toned underneath his suit.

The case had read like a syfy novel. He claimed to have been abducted by aliens and given injections that made him see 5 minutes into the future as a side effect. He had gone to Skinner privately because he was well aware of involvement with Mulder, Scully, and the X-Files.

Mulder could not have been more excited. This was the type of case that made him want to wake up and come to work in the morning.

"Mulder..." Scully could see the gears in his head turning. He was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up; an unsharpened pencil was being twirled in his left hand while his right was rubbing his chin.

"Huh? Oh..." Mulder didn't even realize that she was now sitting on his desk with her arms folded.

"What are you thinking?" She asked him as she looked him in the eyes.

"Come on Scully," he started as he took his feet down. "You know me better than anyone does. You should know what I'm thinking." He mocked Skinner by interlocking his fingers on his desk, only he gave her this puppy dog look that he knew she could not resist.

"A girl can hope for a change of thought, can't she?" He smiled at her words, though he could smile at almost anything she said to him. Her eyes were an intense blue ocean that drowned him every single time.

"Well," he stood up and went to the side of the desk that she was on, leaning on it next to her. "Humor me. What am I thinking about this case?"


	3. And Gone

"Ok let me take an outlandish guess here," Scully rolled her eyes just at the thought. "Could it be...actual aliens?"

"Wow Scully, you know the way to a man's heart!" Mulder lightly bumped her with his shoulder.

"Honestly Mulder what the hell, I mean aliens? It's always aliens with you!"

"Scully... Listen. Unidentified flying objects. Little grey men. Alien abduction."

"I can't believe this. I can never have a regular conversation with you."* She walks over to the other side of the office with her arms folded, Mulder follows.

"Scully, please...just hear me out. It makes sense!"*

Mulder places his hands on her shoulders and bends down to her level, almost touching her nose with his. "alien...abduction." He whispers it, almost seductively.

"Mulder..." Scullys eyes studied her partners face, trying to figure him out.

Scully was fighting back a smile as she thought of how attractive Mulder was when he got into these fits. It just seemed to overtake him. Mulder tightened his grip on her shoulders and grinned. "Think about it. People don't just make up these elaborate stories about things that happen to them," he stood up and his voice heightened."Oh they probed me! They tapped into my head!" As the words rolled off his tongue, he grabbed Scullys forehead and tapped it. "Think. About. It."*

The dim lighting in their office set a mood that wasn't romantic but wasn't exactly platonic. Scully was silent. Mulder was gently clasping her face, looking into her vibrant eyes. Their hearts were racing, though they tried their best to hide it and keep the other from noticing. Neither of them wanted to break their intense eye contact, but it was Mulder yet again who broke the silence.

"Listen Scully," he softened and slowed his voice. "When have I ever been wrong about this stuff?" He continued holding her face, still not breaking the close contact.

"What if I believe you?" Her eyes were honest and sincere. She wanted to believe him and the case but her science- her damn science did not allow to believe without the facts.

"Trust me, Scully. Just trust me..." His voice trailed off into nothing. He could see she wanted to believe him but he understood if she couldn't, at least not yet.

Temperatures were rising, Mulder tilted his head to the side and grinned. He felt himself leaning in but also noticed that Scully wasn't pulling back but doing the same as he was. Everything with them was moving in slow motion while the world around stopped. They were so close they could feel the others rapid breathing. The want for the kiss wasn't even a want at all, it was a need; and just as they were going to cross the line into romantic, Mulder's phone rang.

Both of them stopped what they were about to do. Mulder let out a deep sigh and reached for his pockets, the other hand still on her face. Scully looked down at the floor.

"Hello?" Mulder answered his phone with a hint of disappointment. "Ahh yes sir we did. Yes...yes sir we will get right on that." He started to stroke Scully's hair as he put his phone back in his pocket. She buried herself into his arms for a few moments before turning to pace around the office.

"So who was that?" Scully already knew who had called but she'd do anything to make conversation in this moment.

"Oh uhh it was Skinner. He wants us to go find Agent Brooks." Eye contact was heavily avoided. It would be too uncomfortable to pick up where they left off.

"Well we better go then." As she inhaled, she opened the door- ready to leave.

"Wait, Scully..." He reached out to her and grabbed her shoulder before she could make it past the doorway. "Are we going to... I mean should we... Do you think..." What was there to say? He wanted so desperately to address what happened- or what didn't happen.

"Don't worry about it Mulder. Let's go."

*8:50 AM*

Phil Brooks worked in the Human Resources branch of the FBI. He was one of the men who trained all the new coming agents in the FBI academy. He was well known and well liked in his department despite his blunt way of speaking that sometimes threw people off. Whether you liked it or not, this man would speak his mind and be heard.

"Agent Phil Brooks? I'm Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner Agent Dana Scully." He held has hand out and Phil went in for a firm handshake. _Partner,_ Mulder thought to himself. _It'll always be just my 'partner.'_

"Yeah, glad to see someone has taken an interest." Phil used both of his hands to shake Scullys and made sure to look her directly in the eyes with a warm smile. "And glad to see a lady like yourself has taken interest." He let go of her hand and winked. Mulder, visibly uncomfortable,cleared his throat and shifted his stance.

"I uhh- _we_ came here to talk about your experience…" Scullys eyes darted from the floor and then to Mulder who was avoiding all eye contact. Agent Brooks picked up on the change of atmosphere.

"Oh are you two umm… you know…" He raised his eyebrows at the two agents and put his hands on his hips.

"Absolutely not!" Scullys raised her voice, much to everyone's surprise.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean? 'Absolutely not?' What, are my spooky conspiracies too much for you now?" Mulder folded his arms as she widened her eyes in disbelief.

"WELL," Phil interrupted them before it could turn into a full fledged argument. "It seems I've struck a chord sooo in that case, let's get to the main topic at hand. Look, I know my report sounds crazy but it happened to me. Now I'm an honest man of the FBI, what reason would I have to make this up?"

"Agent Brooks, I believe you. I believe the aliens have been abducting unsuspecting people and doing scientific and genetic experiments on them for years." His stance had loosened. When it came to this topic, the man knew what he was talking about and he talked about it well. Scully couldn't help but admire his knowledge and respect the way he stuck to his gut.

"I appreciate it. And you, Agent Scully?" Agent Brooks turned his attention to the small skeptical woman in front of him.

"Well, I don't think what's stated in the report is plausible enough for me to believe that it was alien abduction. If anything what you have is _precognition_ \- an alleged psychic ability. Even so, there's no real evidence that it actually exists." Scully knew science as well as Mulder knew the extraterrestrial. It was breathtaking the way she spewed out facts as if she had an entire library in her brain.

"Man…" Brooks exhaled into a whistle. He raised and lowered his eyebrows while staring at his feet. He had never met a woman with her mind nor did he think he ever would again. "I tell you what short stuff, you're almost convincing- but I know what I saw and I know what happened."

"Look Agent Brooks," Mulder started. "I think it would be best to talk about this in our office. You know, in a place that is free of judgement of the 'not yet unexplained.' You could also explain in detail when your visions started and what they exactly are."

Agent Brooks agreed to go back to their office. The walk there was excruciatingly and painfully awkward. Brooks tried his hand at flirting with Scully while Mulder bit his tongue and stared at the ceiling. Scully thought he was very attractive but then again; most of the female agents who came in contact with him did. She was uncomfortable because Mulder was uncomfortable- Agent Brooks didn't seem to care.

Relief swept over the both of them as they finally reached their basement office.


	4. The Quiet During the Storm

Mulder entered first, not even holding the door open for Scully or Phil. He went straight to his desk and sat down in his chair. Phil took the chair from the other side of the room and placed it in front of the slightly jealous agent. Scully stood behind Mulder with her arms crossed. The atmosphere in the room was hostile but everyone tried their best to ignore it.

"So right here it says you see five minutes into the future- is that true?" Mulder was reading the case file while swiveling back and forth in his chair.

"Well, at first." Phil crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap.

"What do you mean _at first_?" Scully was genuinely intrigued. She thought it was ridiculous in the first place, but now? It seemed so silly to her.

"I think the longer I had the ability, the longer the time frame. Now I'm up to like a full 24 hours." Mulder and Scully looked at one another with matching puzzled expressions.

"Listen," he continued. "I know it sounds crazy but I swear to you I would not make this up."

"Prove it." Scully was always the one to challenge. Mulder thought that this is what lead him to fall for her in the first place.

"Prove it?" Phil asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright." He leans over and whispers something in Mulder's ear, out of reach of Scully. He turned red and shifted in his seat.

"Well?" Scully carefully studied Phil, who had a smirk on his face; and Mulder, who would not look her in the eyes.

"Mulder!" He looked up at her and tried to maintain his cool exterior.

"I umm… Ok, well look Scully…" He was stammering trying to gather his thoughts. "I mean, you'll find out soon enough. To see if he's telling the truth, I can't say anything to you until then."

"Okay… well, fair enough." Scully walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

Agent Brooks and Agent Mulder looked at each other and then down at the ground.

"So Fox, is it? Listen man you're not dating that red head right?" That was Phil, saying whatever was on his mind.

Mulder's head shot up just a little too fast. "No, of course not." Mulder knew that Phil knew how he felt. After what he had whispered in his ear, he was almost completely positive that he knew.

"Are you sure?" Phil gave him a sly little smile and raised his eyebrows. "I mean… I'm sensing years of built up sexual tension and aggression. Of course, I don't blame you. That Agent Scully has quite the-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mulder was twiddling with a pencil, trying not to show any signs that might give him away.

"I mean just today, I've see the way you gaze at her."

"I do not gaze at-" Deja Vu. Mulder tasted words that were all too familiar on his tongue.

"Yeah, OK pal." Phil stood up to leave and just before he walked out the door he turned to face Mulder and smiled. "Food for your thought."

An unexpected storm swept the city. Work was cut early due to the overflowing of the streets with trash and rainwater. It didn't make a difference to Mulder, the work day had been slow. He sat in the dark of his living-room looking at the glow of his TV-though not watching. The suit he had worn today was replaced by a fitted black shirt and sweatpants. He knew what was about to happen based off of Agent Brooks' prediction. In fact, he had written it all out on a piece of paper in case Scully wasn't convinced.

There was a knock at his door.

He sprang to his feet to open it, though he knew who it was.

"Hi Scully." His partner was standing in front of him soaked from head to toe carrying a briefcase. He stood out of the way to let her in.

"Sorry to intrude Mulder but the power went out at my place and I need to finish some work." She looked at him for his reassurance.

"Make yourself at home."

The both of them placed themselves on his couch, something that happened much too often for friends. As always, they were sitting rather close together. The sounds of her flipping through pages could be heard through the clicks of Mulder's remote and faint sounds on the TV. He was very tense waiting for the events to transpire.

Scully sighed and leaned back into the couch. She placed the file she had next to her. She put her opposite hand just above Mulders knee. Immediately he felt his face turn red and he was hoping she wouldn't notice. He knew what she was about to ask.

"Do you hate sleeping alone?" Her grip on his leg tightened. There was a lump in her throat.

"Why do you ask?" He looked down at the top of her head. Her clothes were now damp and he knew there'd be a wet spot on his couch in the shape of her body but he didn't care.

"You keep a blanket out here. I've been in your room Mulder, it's almost spotless. Any where else is a mess." She looked up, slightly surprised to see that he had already caught her eyes.

"Do you want to see something?" She looks confused by his question but she nods. Mulder reaches to his coffee table and hands her the paper he wrote on earlier. She unfolded it.

The contents read:

" _Scullys power shuts off. She decides to come here. I open the door and see she's soaking wet. She doesn't bother trying to get dry, she just sits down. She's looking over files before she sighs and puts her hand on my leg, just above my knee. She asks me if I hate sleeping alone._

 _I do."_

she positions herself so that she is facing him. "What is this," she asks, slightly concerned. "And how did you know this would happen?"

"Listen, Scully," Mulder faced her too. He was hoping now she'd believe. "This is almost exactly what Agent Brooks whispered to me yesterday. He knew this was going to happen and I figured this would be the only way you'd believe me."

She could see that his eyes were pleading for her to believe him just this once. She wasn't going to lie, it was a good way to test the theory.

"Okay."

"Listen just-" He stopped himself. _Did she really just say 'okay,'_ he thought. "What?"

"Okay, Mulder… but only after a few more tests. If he passes them, then you're right." He knew it was too good to be true but he didn't expect anything else from Scully. After all, she was very big on science and the facts.

"That's all I can really ask of you. Anything else is just crossing the border." Mulder flashed her a big smile that was pure and genuine and made him look like one of the kindest souls in the galaxy.

"Mulder… do you mind if I stay the night?" There it was- the other thing Phil said would happen, only he didn't mention it due to his fear of her leaving and thinking he had the wrong intentions.

"I mean, of course not. It's still pretty bad out there and I'll feel horrible if something happened to you because you were on the road." He tried his best to keep his voice normal and steady.

She smiled and grabbed the remote. "Let's see what's on." She turned her attention to the TV but he was still fixated on her with that same smile on his face.

He did feel alone. Even if he took the couch and she took his bedroom to sleep, he would feel ok. At least then he would not feel as alone knowing she was occupying herself in his barely used sheets. She always seemed concerned about his sleeping habits, even back in 1993 when they were first figuring each other out. The couch was his bed and where he was when he was not with her.

She did not feel alone, just sometimes unnoticed. With Mulder, not once did she feel like that. Over time he had focused so much of his energy towards her to where she felt appreciated yet also respected. Truthfully, she liked how messy his apartment was. It just gave her an excuse to take care of him without exiting the platonic zone.

The storm raged on.


	5. Precognition

It was 3 o'clock in the morning. The storm that raged on showed no signs of stopping. Mulder slept on the couch while Scully took his bed dressed in one of his Oxford t-shirts. She stared up at the ceiling wondering if he was doing the same thing- He was.

"Mulder?" She called out into the darkness hoping for a reply.

"Yeah?" He sounded like he was wide awake. She wondered how often he stayed up like this.

"I can't sleep," Scully was now sitting up. "Can you come in here?"

Silence. Mulder sat up on the couch contemplating if it was the right thing to do. What if he got one good look at her in his clothes, in his room, in his bed… what if he would be compelled to tell her he wanted to try and make things work- and not just as partners but as lovers. It wasn't long before he found himself standing in the doorway to his room, looking her in the eyes.

"You know, Scully, I'm no expert but I think in order to sleep you need to actually be _laying down_." He crossed his arms and leaned up against the doorway.

Scully sighed. "The storm is too loud, Mulder. We may be stuck here again and have to work from here."

"Yeah? So why'd you call me in here?"

More silence.

"Well," She began. "I figured you were awake."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Mulder, every time I call you or show up in the middle of the night you're always awake." She gave him this little 'as a matter of fact' look and he couldn't help but smile and walk over to her. He sits next to her on the edge of the bed.

"Touche, G-Woman." Mulder paused as he placed a hand on her knee through the sheets. His face dropped thinking about all the times he would go days without sleeping. Hoping she didn't notice, he flashed her a quick smile to mask his worrisome thoughts. She decided to ignore this for fear of making him uncomfortable.

"If you want," she swallowed hard before deciding she should continue. "I suppose you could sleep here- with me, just this once."

Mulder studied her face as if to look for a sign that she was joking. "Wow, Scully. Inviting a guy to bed on the first night- I didn't take you for the type."

"Mulder... ?"

"Yes, Scully?"

"Shut up."

A shared smile lit up the dark room. Mulder climbed over her to the free side of the bed but he didn't dare place himself under the covers. He wasn't quite sure what their status was but he knew he didn't want to push his limits. Instead, they just laid there.

It felt nice to have the company of another warm body. It felt satisfying to reach out for a hand that was actually there. Altogether, it was a euphoric experience that they shared with no one else but each other; and they stayed like that until they both fell asleep- hand in hand.

Mulder woke up first. The alarm clock read that it was 6:45. Scully had herself wrapped around his left arm and he couldn't help but stare at how beautiful she looked. He knew he should've done the opposite but he decided not to wake her up. He was so unbelievably in love with this woman and in that moment, she was his. She was in his shirt, in his bed, and wrapped around his arm; what more could he want? Well, he could think of a few things- reciprocated feelings, one shared apartment, a kiss, more than a kiss…

"Don't think about it…" he whispered softly to himself so as not to disturb her.

Ten minutes had passed before he reach over and grasped her shoulder. "Hey, Scully!"

"Huh…?" Slowly but surely she opened her eyes to see her puppy-eyed friends face. "What are you-"

"What am I doing?" Mulder laughed. "I think you should be asking yourself the same question."

It took her a moment until she noticed she was still holding on to his arm. "Jesus, Mulder!" She pushed him away and jumped out of his bed.

"Haven't heard that in a while. Though the last time was in a slightly different circumstance." Mulder smirked and could see she was not amused. Her look of disapproval only fed his amusement.

"Oh come on, Scully," he continued as he stood up. "I was the perfect gentleman, scouts honor." He smiled like a young child trying to charm his mother.

"Okay… I trust you." She looked beautiful in the morning glow wearing his shirt that was entirely too big for her. He was staring.

"I umm, how about we uhh work on this case since we don't have to come in today. I'm just absolutely thrilled to hear your theory."

"Thrilled? Oh please Mulder, you mean to tell me you enjoy being questioned and second guessed?" She crossed her arms and turned to walk out of the room. He followed.

"I always like to hear from you." He realized how that must've sounded from the change in her pace and quickly added on. "I mean, that's why you were assigned to the X-Files in the first place. Debunk me."

Scully turned around to face him before sitting on the couch. "I'll have to admit, Agent Brooks made some pretty good predictions. I'm impressed to say the least, but I think it can be explained."

"Oh really," he challenged, taking a place next to her.

"Precognition is knowledge of the future obtained through extrasensory means. It is the most frequently reported of all extrasensory perception experiences, 60-70 percent in dreams." she turned to look at him. He was listening intently so she continued. "It can occur spontaneously in waking visions, auditory hallucinations, flashing thoughts entering the mind, and a sense of just knowing. Not to mention it could also be induced through trance, channeling, mediumship, and divination."

"So," he began. "What you're saying is...the guy is a psychic? Do you even believe in that?"

"No Mulder, what I'm saying is that this can be explained through science. There's no such things as aliens."

"Scully! But how do you know?" With anyone else he would be annoyed, but with her it only seemed to ignite his passion.

"How do you know they exist?" She countered.

"Because of what I've seen, because of my experiences- I know they exist." The room fell quiet. They were clearly stuck in their own mindsets.

"Tell me more." Mulder propped himself up with his arm and leaned against the couch, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Well, the majority of experiences happen within a 48 hour time frame prior to the event but most often within 24 hours." She dragged out a sigh. "The major factor in precognition is severe emotional shock- most concern unhappy events. Another major factor is intimacy- 80 to 85 percent of these types involves a spouse, family member, or friend they have strong emotional ties to."

"Well I'm almost positive he has no emotional tie to us, though I'm sure he'd just love to have one with you." Mulder scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Others have to deal with strangers, for example seeing someone they've never seen before get into a horrible accident." It took Scully a minute to process what he said. "What do you mean, Mulder?"

"What?"

"You said you're sure he'd just 'love to have one with me.' What are you getting at?" She cocked her head to the side with questioning eyes.

"Oh come on, Scully!" His face showed humor with a hint of disgust. "You mean to tell me I was just imagining all of that flirting and blushing?" She stayed quiet so he continued. "I'm very sure if he had any emotional connection, it would be to you. If not emotional, hormonal."

"Mulder I can assure you I am not interested." She dropped the shared gaze and stared at the floor.

"And why is that?" He leaned in closer to her and turned his head to the side. She was so unaware of how beautiful she looked to him.

"Anyway, Mulder, there is a theory that suggests that precognition is merely a glimpse of a possible future that is based upon present conditions, existing information, and may be altered by free will. This suggests that the future can cause the past." She turned back to look at him. His face was unbelievably close to hers- so close she could kiss him.

"You know," Mulder leaned in closer. He was just a few mere centimeters from her face. He noticed the rapid change in her breathing. "I find it hard to take you seriously while you're wearing one of my _best_ shirts." He smile and then got up to go into the kitchen. "Coffee?" He called back.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever."


End file.
